Posts Tagged ‘sweet’
snickerdoodles
This past weekend was a whirlwind of activity, much of which required favors being received and thank yous being doled out in spades. Buying a couch, borrowing a friend’s truck, asking a neighbor to help move said couch, etc, all warranted more than just a verbal acknowledgment, so I of course baked some delicious treats as an extra thank-you.
Snickerdoodles (which by the way, is the most fun cookie name ever) are one of those easy, but special things to make and eat. You don’t see them often enough at bakeries or coffee shops, despite the fact they’re delicious, simple, and can last for days if properly stored. I had been craving them the past few weeks and then suddenly they popped up in my Martha Stewart Cookie-a-Day newsletter. C’est parfait!
These are insanely good eaten warm so I recommend either eating them fresh from the oven (which believe me, I did… in great quantities) or microwaving the cookies for 15 seconds before devouring. Don’t worry, the amount of fat in the dough prevents them from drying out. It’s a good thing.
salty-sweet marshmallow squares
I feel like I write this a lot on here, but these were a going-away treat for another coworker who left to pursue other ventures. Unlike most of my former coworkers however, Robbie left to pursue something extra awesome: becoming a full-time chocolatier. I found out only in the past couple months after he gave me a sample of his very own single origin bean-to-bar formula, which was delicious and just so, well, cool. People don’t realize just how insanely labor intensive it is to create chocolate – let alone in an apartment kitchen, but Robbie outlines it quite well on his blog, Chocolate Baar.
Baking for someone who creates their own chocolate… well, it’s a little intimidating. You can go two routes – try to be über impressive and froufrou going over the top, or celebrating something simple and classic. Robbie said his favorite things were simple treats, like chocolate chip cookies, so I knew classic was the way to go. And a craving for marshmallow squares sealed the deal.
I jazzed these up by using really, really good chocolate (sadly not Robbie’s – but Askinosie has the same eco-conscious single-origin mindset, which is wonderful) and playing with salty-sweet by sprinkling chopped salted cashews and honey roasted peanuts on top. So I suppose you could say I combined the two previously mentioned categories. It’s a classic simple dessert in a frilly dress, which honestly, are the best kind of treats (in my opinion).
Puffed rice.
blood orange scones
Blood oranges are in season right now, and I can’t resist the sweet, ruby-red fruit. It’s reminiscent of a large clementine (in flavor) or tangello – slightly less acidic than a normal orange with a sweeter edge to it. I assisted my food stylist friend Jackie last weekend and volunteered to make a nice breakfast pastry to bring in, so I figured some scones would fit the bill.
And oh me oh my, these are honestly the best scones I have ever had. They aren’t the dense, hard scones you find in your local chain coffee shop. Fragrant and light with the taste of blood oranges plus moist and airy from the use of buttermilk and plumped currants, they really are perfection. Be sure to use sparkling or raw sugar to get that good crunchy crust on top – it makes them extra extra divine.
Currants, pre-plump.
vegan fig bars
-adjusts sword on my belt-
A challenge has been presented! And when a challenge is presented, I shall answer.
My friend Casey recently complimented my blog, but also lamented the lack of vegan-friendly recipes on my site. I’m not one to lie – I don’t eat vegan and rarely cook that way. If there are any vegan recipes on here, it’s purely coincidental. Until now. I promised Casey I would bake vegan, and now I face the gauntlet with this!
I didn’t want to cop out by saying grilled fruit with soy ice cream or coconut milk based pudding or something easy like that. I also didn’t want something that required a list of weird, hard-to-find substitute ingredients. I wanted to find something delicious to bake and have the treat just happen to be vegan. And here it is. It’s like a fig newton cookie or toaster strudel on crack. A chewy oatmeal crust with a thick and rich filling of dried figs and dates, sweetened with pure maple syrup. Topped with a super easy vanilla glaze, these are the perfect treat to follow dinner, or even start your day with a good cup of coffee. So here’s to you, Casey! I hope you like them.
sour cream apple pie
My only notable New Years resolution this year involves perhaps the holy grail of baking.
Perfect pie crust.
Now, those close to me will scratch their heads and say “But, I thought you didn’t even like pie?” (cue the dramatic music) Yes, it’s true, pie is probably my least favorite dessert. I love filling and very little crust. I’m not a fan of a double-layered pie with thick edges and a barrage of flaky shell, so I mostly avoid it. However, I’m also oddly stubborn in the fact that I hate disliking ingredients, dishes, etc. I love being an incredibly unpicky eater, so I constantly try foods I dislike to see if my taste or opinion has changed. I love tarts and quiches, so this year, my hope is to reconcile with pie and not only practice it constantly, but try to perfect what is the perfect pie crust to me.
So when I recently picked up “The Modern Baker” by Nick Malgieri (amazing book, by the way), I was immediately drawn to this recipe. It has a simple sweet pie crust for the bottom, a yummy tart filling of sauteed apples and sour cream custard, and then a crumbly, almost streusel topping. Half pie-half crumble, I thought it would be the perfect transition into pie zone.
And it truly is a wonderful mix of baked goods. Pie meets crumble meets coffee cake even. The pie dough cut easily (even if I overbaked it slightly – but baby steps, folks!), the filling was incredibly tender, moist, and just sweet enough, and the topping was a cinnamon-sugar crumble delight. The whole pie is actually quite subtle (aka not too sweet) when you first taste it, but if you let it sit overnight and allow the flavors to meld and marinate a bit, it’s 100 times better the next day. And yet, for my first pie, I think it’s the beginning of a beautiful relationship.
The butter is gone.
Disc o’ dough.
